1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rope or cable cleats, and more particularly to an improved cleat structure including a base member housing on opening/cavity formed therein, and a housing for a rotatable cam-type locking member for selectively locking and releasing a rope or cable drawn through a passageway formed through the housing, the housing being pivotably attached to the base member and movable between an extended position and a retracted position nested within the opening/cavity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,873 entitled "Self-Locking Cleat For Rope, Cable and the Like" which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, and as generally illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the present drawing, my prior art cleating device is comprised of a base 10 having an elongated mounting flange with fastener receiving openings 12 and 14 provided at respective ends thereof. The upper portion 16 is, as best illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing, configured to include a cavity 18 positioned between front and rear upstanding walls 20 and 22, the latter having a slot 24 formed therein. In the middle of the base is a transversely extending semi-cylindrical surface 26 forming one-half of the rope receiving opening 28 shown in FIG. 1. On the rightmost side, as illustrated, is an upstanding member 30 having a vertically extending bore 32 formed therein for receiving a fasting screw or bolt 34. Disposed within and extending out of either side of the cavity 18 is a rotatable cam 36 having a serrated, ridged or otherwise roughened surface 38, and an extended lever arm 40. The cam 36 includes a bore 42 for receiving a pivot and fastening bolt 44 that is extended up through an opening (not shown) in the base 10 and passes through a first coil spring 46, the bore 42 and a second coil spring 48. Opposite ends of the springs bear against the cam 36 and walls 20, 22 respectively, to resiliently bias the cam into its rope engaging position. A cover plate 50 is configured to mate with the base 10 and includes a transversely extending slot 52 and a downwardly facing transversely extending semi-cylindrical surface 54 that mates with the upwardly facing cylindrical surface 26 to form a cylindrical passageway into which the cam 36 extends and through which a rope or cable may be passed. After being positioned over the cam assembly and in place against the base 10, the cover 50 is secured in place by means of the screw, or bolts, 34 and 44 which thread into downwardly facing threaded bores (not shown) formed in the bottom surface of the cover plate.
As is best illustrated in the assembled showing of FIG. 1, by pulling the lever arm 40 toward the viewer so that it moves through the slot 52 and into the slot 24, the cam 36 will be rotated about the pivot bolt 44 (FIG. 2) so as to clear the passageway formed by surfaces 26 and 54 allowing a rope (or cable) or the like to be threaded therethrough. Upon subsequent release of the lever 40, the springs 46 and 48 (FIG. 2) will cause the cam 36 to be urged into engagement with the rope (or cable) such that an attempted retraction will cause frictional engagement between the roughened surface 38 and the rope, and will clampingly secure the rope within the passageway and prevent its removal until lever 40 is forced forward to rotate the cam out of engagement with the rope and allow it to be withdrawn from the passageway. Note however, that the rope may be pulled in the opposite direction, i.e., the direction of its tail, so as to tighten the rope (relative to its opposite end).
Although this prior art device has met with success in the industry, and has been successfully used for a number of applications, its upstanding nature and configuration provides somewhat of an obstacle when not in use. There is thus a need for a device of this type which can be extended from a suitable housing when in use, but can be retracted into the housing during periods of non-use.